Keith Milligan, Minister of Transportation and Public Works, announced today that Prince Edward Island will be entering into a National Safety Code Funding Agreement as part of the overall Provincial highway safety strategy.
The Agreement, between the Department of Transportation and Public Works and the Federal Ministry of Transport, will provide Federal funding in the amount of $147,280 per year, for five years, towards the implementation of the National Safety Code for motor carriers in Prince Edward Island.
Mr. Milligan said that ‘The Standards, developed nationally in response to the deregulation of the transportation industry, are a comprehensive code of minimum performance principles which govern the safe operation of commercial vehicles. They ensure that all provincial, national and international jurisdictions have an equitable and harmonized approach.'
The Minister noted that Government has already implemented nine of the fourteen standards. He added, ‘This Agreement will ensure my Government can effectively put into place the remaining standards and thus improve commercial vehicle and driver safety, as well as enhance the competitive position of Prince Edward Island's motor carriers. The transportation industry places a high priority on the need for uniform rules and practices as they apply to interprovincial movement of goods.'
The National Safety Code applies to all operators of commercial vehicles on the road, including trucks and buses. In Prince Edward Island there are over 6,000 registered commercial vehicles. By having a standardized code in place, it is possible to promote and encourage the maintenance and operation of commercial vehicles in a manner that safeguards and protects the health and safety of the general public, not only here on the Island but all across Canada and North America.
Mr. Milligan is pleased that the Federal and Provincial Ministers of Transportation have agreed to implement the National Safety Code Standards and that the Federal Minister has made funds available to the Province for implementation. He concluded, ‘I am confident that road safety will be enhanced and that Prince Edward Island's trucking industry will be in an improved competitive position as a result of the Agreement.'
For more information, contact Glen Beaton, Highway Safety Division, 902-368-5221